I just read a story from a close newspaper to me regarding two patients from Michigan at the Halifax hospital. The couple are senior citizen who were in row 30 of the upper deck. They were standing to see the end of the race. Both were hit with flying metal and injured reguiring stitches. The gentleman has a large cut over his left eye and it looks to have been quite deep. The wife had a severe injury to an arm and internal bleeding. She was in the ICU. The gentleman was enjoying Tony's win as he is his favorite driver and they didn't see what happened.

I went back to the story to be sure I was right on what I had posted. I was. They were both hit by 75 pound of steel. They were asked if the incident would affect their view of the sport. They said no that they were aware of the dangers. When asked what they would want if they were offered anything because of the incident and the lady said she'd want 2 tickets in the best seats for the rest of her life.I love her humor.......

The Military Thanks You For Standing Behind Them. If You Can't Do that You Can Always Stand In Front Of Them.....Think About It.....

Thank you to those who took a step forward to save the rest who stand still.

Annalee wrote:Tony fans are simply the best!..........tough and loyal no matter what! Hope they are feeling better!

I'm going to keep track of this couple as I read their paper every day and I'm sure the story they had today will be updated. My sister lives close to where the couple lives and I'll see if she knows any more info about them.

The Military Thanks You For Standing Behind Them. If You Can't Do that You Can Always Stand In Front Of Them.....Think About It.....

Thank you to those who took a step forward to save the rest who stand still.

Just found this from ESPN. Marty Smith...........That's our Tony and that's why we love him!

Latest On Daytona Crash

Tony Stewart visited six NASCAR fans who were injured Saturday during a horrific wreck on the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Daytona International Speedway.

Stewart was present at Halifax Health Medical Center Sunday after the Daytona 500 for more than two hours, according to a Stewart Haas Racing spokesman. He arrived at approximately 8 p.m. and stayed just past 10 p.m.

StewartStewart did not want to be acknowledged for the deed, but when ESPN.com learned he had visited the injured fans, his team confirmed the visit with his blessing.

The three-time champion met with each patient individually, and interacted extensively with five of them. He gave each a personalized, autographed Bass Pro Shops No. 14 cap.

It was Stewart's decision alone to visit the fans, the spokesman said. He wanted to do it, and charged his team with coordinating logistics.

As he sped toward the checkered flag during the Nationwide race on Saturday, Stewart watched in his rearview mirror as Kyle Larson's No. 32 car went airborne, careening into the catch fence and spraying debris throughout the grandstands, injuring 28 people.

Stewart won the race, making it his seventh victory in the past nine years, tying him with Dale Earnhardt for most wins ever in that event at the track.

But in Victory Lane Stewart was somber, saying that he was happy to win but that all focus should rest on those injured in the grandstands.

"As much as we want to celebrate right now, and as much as this is a big deal to us, I'm more worried about the drivers and the fans that are in the stands right now," he said in Victory Lane. "Because that was ... I could see it all in my mirror, and it didn't look good from where I was at."

Of those injured, 14 were sent to area hospitals. Seven of those were sent to Halifax Health, and six of those remained there Sunday night. Those were the fans visited by Stewart.

Thanks Annalee for posting Marty Smith's report. I have commented on the post I made yesterday in "Tony" and I won't go into it again but the gentleman I wrote about must have gotten one of the hats Tony signed. This gentleman is a Tony fan and was watching Tony get the checkers and did not see the accident or the debris coming towards him. He and his wife and a man behind them were hit with the 75 pound of debris. The only reason I know about this is because the couple is from my home town and I read the newspaper from there every day. There wasn't an update today but family was on the way to Daytona to be with the couple.

The Military Thanks You For Standing Behind Them. If You Can't Do that You Can Always Stand In Front Of Them.....Think About It.....

Thank you to those who took a step forward to save the rest who stand still.

Thanks for the link. I read this story yesterday and at first it broke my heart. But as I read it again I felt better as this man took a deep breath and did what pleased him. He died the way he wanted to and not everyone is able to do that. I admire the strength this man had to do as he pleased his last few days.

The Military Thanks You For Standing Behind Them. If You Can't Do that You Can Always Stand In Front Of Them.....Think About It.....

Thank you to those who took a step forward to save the rest who stand still.

Most tracks i've been to you have to sign a waver releasing the track of any respondsability if you are anywhere in or around the track with the exception of the stands and that area specificly for fans.Don't ever recall signing a waver for anything else other than that,does anyone know what Nascars stand is on that?Doesn't matter how safe anything is made or what percautions are taken,there's always the unforseen.Class action suit is the last thing this sport needs,much as i feel bad for those fans,it's not going to help anything.

The way these deals were described to me by someone who knows a lot more about this stuff than I said to the effect "You can write all the disclaimers and waivers you want, but you can't write away your liability."

I wouldn't condemn any of these fans just yet. They've got enough problems to worry about right now. It might only make sense to hire someone to look after the legal and financial end of all this while they recuperate.